Beauty and Diplomacy: The Malcolm MacDonald Collections

I like beauty, I love beauty, I worship beauty in all its earthly forms.

Ceramic plate with a white base, decorated with floral and winged patterns in red, green, yellow and blue.

For Malcolm MacDonald, collecting was not just about acquiring objects. In his diplomatic career across Canada, Asia and Africa, Malcolm loved to explore indigenous cultures and saw beauty in their traditional ways of life.

Representing Britain across the world gave Malcolm the opportunity to buy objects from a range of cultures. These included Indian stone sculptures, Japanese ivory, Cambodian bronze deities, African wood-work and Iranian ceramics.

Malcolm supported contemporary craftsmanship as well as acquiring a collection of Chinese ceramics spanning four thousand years of history. He believed in the social impact of art, donating collections to university museums in Singapore and Malaysia.

In Kenya, he saw art as a means of building a new, independent national identity and supported the teaching of craftsmanship to convicted prisoners and his collections contain several everyday objects and articles of clothing from Borneo and further afield, demonstrating Malcolm’s fascination with the people he encountered across the world.

Malcolm was also a collector with a strong social conscience. In the wake of the Second World War, even reputable dealers might sometimes inadvertently sell antiques which had been looted from their original owners. Malcolm made it known to all his guests that if they ever spotted one of their lost possessions amongst his collection, he would willingly return it to them. He did so on several occasions.

For Malcolm, art and beauty were as much about transforming modern society as recording relics of the past.

Long, thin canoe shaped ornament in silver metal, with decorative engravings.

Dish in the shape of a canoe (prahus) | Silver | Brunei, 1945-1975 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1979.142 | This object represent the exquisite craftsmanship of the silversmiths of the Sultanate of Brunei. Malcolm was particularly friendly with an 80 year old craftsman named Haji Mohammed, watching them at work whilst dangling his legs above the crocodile infested waters beneath the silversmiths’ stilt house.

Tall man in a long green and yellow cloak. His arms are clasped together and a faded moustache is visible on his face.

Figure of a camel boy | Earthenware | China, 775-825 CE, Tang dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.30 | From his first visit to East Asia in 1929, Malcolm was attracted to the beautiful figures created during the Tang dynasty. He visited a retirement home for eunuchs and watched a caravan of camels bringing goods for sale from across the Gobi Desert. Perhaps more than other types of Chinese ceramic, figures like the camel boy conjure up images of an almost forgotten way of life.

Necklace made up of multiple sizes of round beads in a variety of colours including yellow, black, red and brown.

Bead necklace | Glass, textile | China and Sarawak | Date unknown | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.155 |One of Malcolm’s most remarkable friends in Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak) was named Lallang. She was one of the few women to become a chieftainess of the Kayan people. On their first meeting, Lallang showed Malcolm two bead necklaces. Malcolm was able to deduce that the oldest beads belonged to the Tang or Song dynasty. Lallang explained that the owners of such Chinese beads would not part with them for any price for fear of bringing bad luck. Their friendship grew to the point where she was willing to forego this superstition and present him with one of her prized necklaces.

Long, cylindrical tube with patterned carvings. Above the tube two butterflies are fixed, with elaborately designed wings and tails.

Cigar holder | Silver | Brunei, 1945-1975 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.139 | This cigar holder was made as a gift for special guests dining with the Sultan or other Brunei aristocrats. The butterflies are attached by a spring so that they could flutter around in the smoke created by a lit cigar. Malcolm had the legs added so they could stand decoratively on his dining room table.

Long and thin dark grey cannon, tubular in shape, sat on a brown wooden base.

Cannon (bedil gargabus) | Bronze, wood | Brunei, 1800-1900 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.117 | In the nineteenth century, Brunei Bay was a haven for pirates and cannons such as this one were used for protection on ships at sea and forts on land. It is lavishly decorated with animals such as a crocodile and bird, as well as Islamic imagery in the form of a double bladed sword. Malcolm bought six of these cannons to decorate the veranda of his palace at Bukit Serene in Singapore.

Woven basket coloured yellow and black. The patterned design consists of triangles, waves and curves. The basket has two carrying handles draped at either side.

Basket | Plant fibre | Sarawak, 20th century CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1980.53 | This basket was made by the Dayak indigenous peoples of Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak). Baskets such as this were essential tools for everyday tasks including carrying food collected from foraging or fishing.

Dish in the shape of a canoe (prahus) | Silver | Brunei, 1945-1975 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1979.142 | This object represent the exquisite craftsmanship of the silversmiths of the Sultanate of Brunei. Malcolm was particularly friendly with an 80 year old craftsman named Haji Mohammed, watching them at work whilst dangling his legs above the crocodile infested waters beneath the silversmiths’ stilt house.

Figure of a camel boy | Earthenware | China, 775-825 CE, Tang dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.30 | From his first visit to East Asia in 1929, Malcolm was attracted to figures created during the Tang dynasty. This camel boy helps to conjure up images of an almost forgotten way of life.

Bead necklace | Glass, textile | China and Sarawak | Date unknown | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.155 | Malcolm’s friend Lallang was one of the few women in Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak) to become a chieftainess of the Kayan people. Their friendship grew and Lallang presented him with this prized necklace.

Cigar holder | Silver | Brunei, 1945-1975 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.139 | This cigar holder was made as a gift for special guests dining with the Sultan or other Brunei aristocrats. The butterflies are attached by a spring so that they could flutter around in the smoke created by a lit cigar. Malcolm had the legs added so they could stand decoratively on his dining room table.

Cannon (bedil gargabus) | Bronze, wood | Brunei, 1800-1900 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.117 | This cannon is lavishly decorated with animals such as a crocodile and bird. Malcolm bought six of these cannons to decorate the veranda of his palace at Bukit Serene in Singapore.

Basket | Plant fibre | Sarawak, 20th century CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1980.53 | Baskets such as this were essential tools for everyday tasks for the indigenous peoples of Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak), including carrying food collected from foraging or fishing.

Out of over 400 pieces of Chinese ceramic art given to the Oriental Museum, this was Malcolm MacDonald’s favourite.

Its greyish-white glaze becomes pink and translucent through transmitted light. It was fired upside down, leaving the rim without glaze. Instead it is bound with copper.

At £750, the bowl was one of Malcolm’s most expensive purchases, acquired on a trip to Hong Kong’s Happy Valley.

Two mandarin ducks swim across the elegantly carved pond foliage. These birds were thought to mate for life and are a symbol of wedded bliss.

Porcelain | China, 11th-12th century CE, Northern Song dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.40

Close up on the circular top of the baton, showing a faded silver design with the outline of an elephant wearing a crown.

Military baton | Bamboo, silver | Laos, 20th century CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.144 | This baton would have belonged to an army officer in the Royal Lao Army. Laos was a French colony which became independent in 1953. On the silver knob you can see a triple headed elephant. This was the official symbol of the Kingdom of Laos and its Royal Army until a communist coup in 1975.

Expanded view of the baton, showing more of the carved metal patterns and the wooden tube it attaches to. The baton is patterned throughout.

Military baton | Malcolm was given the baton by one of the many Laotian princes. When the country succumbed to civil war in the early 1960s, Malcolm was chosen to chair an international conference in Geneva to help end the conflict.

The man in this sculpture sits with arms folded on his raised knees. His ear lobes are dramatically pulled down by large hooped earrings.

Carving of a Kayan man | Wood | Sarawak, 1950-1960 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.125 | This wooden figure depicts a Kayan man from Malaysian Borneo (Sarawak). He wears only a loincloth and has elongated ear lobes with large earrings. This is surprising because ear stretching was usually more prevalent with Kayan women than men.

The boar sits on a wooden base. The sculpture is pink in colour and the boar has a prominent long snout.

Figure of a boar | Earthenware | China, 700-800 CE, Tang dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.32 | This figure of a boar may have reminded Malcolm of his friendship with Ong Tiang Swee, a Chinese businessman in Sarawak. Tiang Swee often invited Malcolm for banquets where the speciality was always roast suckling pig. Throughout his life, Malcolm adored Chinese food.

Box in two parts, resembling a duck. The box is golden on the outside, with a black interior.

Lacquer box | Myanmar (Burma), 1900-1950 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1979.34 | Malcolm MacDonald visited Burma regularly during the 1940s and 1950s. Whilst off duty in Burma, Malcolm enjoyed discovering the artistic skill of the Burmese craftsmen. He particularly admired the beauty of small, highly intricate lacquer boxes such as this example.

Tall black vase with oval shaped brown patterns running across its body. The vase has a narrow top, then grows wider, before thinning to a narrow base.

Vase | Stoneware | Japan, 1900-1950 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.80 | This pretends to be a Henan ware vase from Song dynasty China. However, it is a fake produced in Japan during the early twentieth century. Although Malcolm MacDonald was a connoisseur of Chinese ceramics, he still made the occasional mistake. These did not dishearten Malcolm but instead helped him to improve his knowledge. Throughout his life, collecting was as much about the pursuit of knowledge as the pursuit of beauty.

Military baton | Bamboo, silver | Laos, 20th century CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.144 | Laos was a French colony which became independent in 1953. On the silver knob you can see a triple headed elephant, the official symbol of the Kingdom of Laos and its Royal Army until a communist coup in 1975.

Military baton | Malcolm was given the baton by one of the many Laotian princes. When the country succumbed to civil war in the early 1960s, Malcolm was chosen to chair an international conference in Geneva to help end the conflict.

Carving of a Kayan man | Wood | Sarawak, 1950-1960 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1976.125 | This wooden figure wears only a loincloth and has elongated ear lobes with large earrings. Ear stretching was usually more prevalent with Kayan women than men.

Figure of a boar | Earthenware | China, 700-800 CE, Tang dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.32 | This figure of a boar may have reminded Malcolm of his friendship with Ong Tiang Swee, a Chinese businessman in Sarawak. Tiang Swee often invited Malcolm for banquets where the speciality was always roast suckling pig. Throughout his life, Malcolm adored Chinese food.

Lacquer box | Myanmar (Burma), 1900-1950 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1979.34 | Malcolm MacDonald visited Burma regularly during the 1940s and 1950s. Whilst off duty in Burma, Malcolm enjoyed discovering the artistic skill of the Burmese craftsmen. He particularly admired the beauty of small, highly intricate lacquer boxes such as this example.

Vase | Stoneware | Japan, 1900-1950 CE | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.80 | This pretends to be a Henan ware vase from Song dynasty China but is actually a fake produced in Japan during the early twentieth century. Although Malcolm was a connoisseur, he still made the occasional mistake.

The three Chinese ceramics below tell the story of Malcolm MacDonald’s changing tastes as a collector.

Upon first arriving in Singapore, Malcolm began collecting export wares of a lesser artistic quality than imperial ceramics, mostly from the Ming or Qing dynasties.

This plate with its many colours and flowery design represents Malcolm’s more westernised tastes from this period of his life. Its colourful design is reminiscent of European ceramics which he first started collecting as a young man in his twenties.

Swatow ware plate | Porcelain | China, 1750-1799 CE, Qing dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.238.C

Malcolm was introduced to imperial Chinese ceramics by his friend Dato ‘S. Q.’ Wong, a wealthy Chinese businessman and community leader in Singapore.

‘S. Q.’ presented Malcolm with this slightly chipped Junware bowl. Dating from the Song dynasty, ‘S. Q.’ hoped this gift would introduce Malcolm to earlier types of Chinese ceramic which embodied a much simpler form of beauty.

Chipped Junware bowl | Stoneware | China, 1260-1368 CE, Yuan dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.96

After some time, ‘S. Q.’s plan worked and Malcom came to prefer Song dynasty creations because of their technical perfection. He particularly loved Longquan Ware.

This is a type of green glazed Chinese ceramic often known as celadon. His tastes had developed away from the more westernised and familiar to a true appreciation of the Chinese conception of artistic beauty.

Longquan ware jar | Stoneware | China, 1200-1300 CE, Song dynasty | Malcolm MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.107

Ceremonial Stick | Wood & ivory | India, 1900-1960 CE | MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1980.54 | Malcolm MacDonald collected numerous sticks and canes from around the globe during the course of his diplomatic career. This example was carved in India.

Female Head | Sandstone | India, Pala Empire, 1000-1100 CE | MacDonald Collection, DUROM.1969.347 | Whilst MacDonald was based in Delhi as High Commissioner he acquired several examples of ancient Indian sculpture including this piece in Chandella style.

Dish | Stoneware with blue-green glaze and applied-relief decoration | China, Zhejiang province, Longquan | Song dynasty, 960-1279 CE | Macdonald Collection, DUROM.1969.104.C | MacDonald believed that ceramics produced during the Song dynasty were the finest examples of Chinese ceramics. This raised applique decoration seen on this dish is often found in early Longquan celadon wares from this period.

Jar | Earthenware painted in red and dark-brown | China, Gansu province | Majiayao Culture, Banshan phase, 2800 - 2500 BCE | Macdonald Collection, DUROM.1969.251 | MacDonald’s collection primarily focused on ceramics produced from the Yuan to the Qing dynasty but he acquired this Neolithic jar to help address a chronological gap in his collection.

Dou vessel stem cup | Porcelain with underglaze blue decoration | China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen | Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1425-1435 CE | Macdonald Collection, DUROM.1969.341 | Blue and white ceramics are perhaps the best known of Chinese ceramics and MacDonald collected a number of fine examples. This cup dates to the Xuande reign when blue and white porcelain reached it’s height in terms of quality and style.

Ceremonial Stick | Wood & ivory | India, 1900-1960 CE | DUROM.1980.54 | Malcolm collected numerous sticks and canes from around the globe during the course of his diplomatic career. This example was carved in India.

Female Head | Sandstone | India, Pala Empire, 1000-1100 CE | DUROM.1969.347 | Whilst MacDonald was based in Delhi as High Commissioner he acquired several examples of ancient Indian sculpture including this piece in Chandella style.

Dish | Stoneware with blue-green glaze | China, Zhejiang province, Longquan | Song dynasty, 960-1279 CE | DUROM.1969.104.C | MacDonald believed that ceramics produced in this period were the finest examples of Chinese ceramics. This raised decoration is often found in Longquan celadon wares from this period.

Dou vessel stem cup | Porcelain | China, Jiangxi province, Jingdezhen | Ming dynasty, Xuande reign, 1425-1435 CE | DUROM.1969.341 | Blue and white ceramics are perhaps the best known of Chinese ceramics and MacDonald collected a number of fine examples. This cup marks the height of quality of this style.

I found it foolish to buy dull bits of paper which would be hidden away in drawers when I could purchase instead beautiful objects to delight the eye in my rooms.

A mostly white plate, with blue Chinese characters in the centre.

Acknowledgements

This exhibition was originally curated by Alexander Nicholas Shaw in partnership with the Oriental Museum.

Beauty and Diplomacy would not have been possible without the hard work of the entire team at the Oriental Museum. Special thanks are due to Helen Armstrong, Craig Barclay, Rachel Barclay, Carolyn Gaw, Julia Oliver, Gill Ramsay, Mel Smith and Phil Smith.

We are also grateful to Dr Victoria Bagshaw and Palace Green Library for providing many of the images used in this exhibition.

In creating this exhibition we have been greatly inspired by Malcolm’s own thoughts about his collections and how they should be displayed. We have tried to tell both the story of Malcolm’s life, and also the stories from his collections which he most wanted to be told.

The original purchase of Malcolm’s collection of Chinese ceramics was funded by many generous public and private benefactors.

Malcolm MacDonald looks into the distance, holding an oar in his hands.

Durham University Library, MAC/124/3/40

The contents of this exhibition are under copyright and images are not to be reproduced without permission. Exhibition design copyright of Durham University.

Beauty and Diplomacy

Adventurer

Collector

Diplomat

Malcolm John MacDonald (1901-1981) was a British politician, diplomat and colonial administrator. He was also an important collector and enthusiastic patron of the arts.

One of the things one collects is people. I have made a fine collection.

Malcolm MacDonald’s success as a diplomat was a product of his energy and innovation, sympathy for newly independent nations and ability to strike up strong friendships.

Malcolm and the King

I expected to like the wild men of Borneo a great deal. No doubt because I am a bit of a wild man myself.

Collecting Heads

I like beauty, I love beauty, I worship beauty in all its earthly forms.

For Malcolm MacDonald, collecting was not just about acquiring objects. In his diplomatic career across Canada, Asia and Africa, Malcolm loved to explore indigenous cultures and saw beauty in their traditional ways of life.

The three Chinese ceramics below tell the story of Malcolm MacDonald’s changing tastes as a collector.

I found it foolish to buy dull bits of paper which would be hidden away in drawers when I could purchase instead beautiful objects to delight the eye in my rooms.

Acknowledgements